


Lunar Tendencies

by Mansaeboysbe



Category: GOT7, K-pop
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, merman au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-01
Updated: 2018-10-01
Packaged: 2019-07-23 04:18:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16151459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mansaeboysbe/pseuds/Mansaeboysbe
Summary: Something mysterious lurks beneath the waves at night, but that doesn’t stop you from going back. (Merman!AU)





	Lunar Tendencies

**Author's Note:**

> -Admin Mari

The waves curled up to the shore in gentle motions. The sand was littered with shells and seaweed because the tide was low and the sun had just begun to crawl up over the horizon, bathing the landscape in a soft pink glow. Rocks of all sizes protruded out of the beach and on both the north and south sides there were cliffs that seemed to reach out to try and enclose the sea in its own little pocket of the ocean. The bay itself actually held multiple species under the water as it was filled with coral reefs.

It was a popular place among the locals but very well hidden in hopes of preserving the natural beauty since so many tourists could not understand the concept of keeping their hands to themselves.

(Y/n) was walking the length of the beach, just close enough to let the water lap at her toes. She put her gear down along one of the ridges and back far enough that the waves would not steal away her belongings. Her location was covered from the sun, at least for now, and the air was cool enough to make her shiver. Slipping her sandals off and discarding her cover-up, she walked out to meet the ocean.

It was quiet out. There were a few birds calling to each other and a couple of beach goers were lounging around, but the water was certainly more calm than usual without the wind.

She smiled as she waded in about waist deep and then let herself float on her back. She closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles as she soaked in the rays of sunshine and was carried along the shore. After a few minutes of what she supposed was uneven tanning, (Y/n) swam back to her original spot and got out. She raced over to her bag and pulled out a pair of goggles before running back into the ocean.

Sinking down into the water, (Y/n) pulled the goggles around her head and fit them around her face. She sucked in a deep breath before submerging herself. She propelled herself through the water and maneuvered around the coral beds, careful to avoid touching them.

The sunlight filtered through the water in streaks, and every once in awhile a fish would turn and reflect the light just perfectly. It seemed to (Y/n) that they were simply basking. She’d swim closer and it’d move away with a final flash of its scales. She really admired the different kinds of fish out here, especially for their beauty. And even if she wasn’t allowed to get close to them, she was content with looking from afar.

She swam around leisurely, occasionally coming up for air before diving back under. She spent the better part of her morning underwater and only left when the sun was almost directly above her. (Y/n) pulled the goggles off, covered herself in a towel and pulled out the lunch she had brought, eating quickly. Then she hauled her bag over her shoulder, took her sandals in hand and walked back to her car, pausing momentarily to wash the sand off her feet.

She threw her stuff in the back and drove back into town. The streets were lined with little cafes and beach front stores. She pulled into a parking spot in the back of one of the strips and looked at the clock in her console. She gasped before sprinting out of the car and into the convenience store on the corner. (Y/n) waved to her coworker as she ran to the back room to change.

Her hair was still damp when she emerged in her uniform. Her coworker, Youngjae, was busy restocking the aisles while she set up behind the counter. The store was empty except for the two of them.

“You were almost late,” Youngjae remarked as he peered over the top of the chip bags.

“Almost is the key word,” (Y/n) replied with a smile. He laughed.

They spent most of their shift together in silence aside from welcoming customers and making small comments to each other about how nice it was outside or what they had done before coming to work. It wasn’t awkward between them, but it seemed to (Y/n) that Youngjae had a lot on his mind. So, she left him to his thoughts as she drifted off in her daydreams as well.

The sun was just beginning to sink as the two finished up.

“So…what are your plans for tonight?” he asked timidly as (Y/n) came out of the backroom, uniform replaced with the pair of shorts and t-shirt she kept in her locker for the days when she came straight from the beach.

She furrowed her brows in confusion for a second.

“Well, I, uh, I was going to go home before going out to the bay tonight.”

“Are you gonna swim in the dark?” he seemed mildly alarmed at the thought.

She giggled, “Yes, but I snorkel with a flashlight, so I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

He nodded and they exited the store.

“I was thinking,” Youngjae said after a moment, “would you maybe want to go on a date with me? Not tonight, obviously, since you have plans! Another night, though…” He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

She paled slightly at the sudden confession. She knew he was nice and he was definitely handsome, but for some reason, she didn’t feel any kind of spark when she was with him, so she went with her gut.

“Oh, Youngjae, I’m really sorry, but I don’t feel that way about you.” She tried to maintain her smile as she watched his response. Her hands messed with the hem of her shirt but she continued to look at his downcast eyes.

His shoulders slumped slightly and his resolve weakened even more. His smile was pained as he finally met her gaze again. He simply mumbled out a quick “that’s okay” and an excuse for having to leave quickly before scampering off down the street.

(Y/n) felt bad, guilty even, but she did not go after him. She walked back to her car and leaned up against the side for a moment to think. She sighed and got into the driver’s seat and drove home. The drive seemed to be long and drawn out even though it was fairly short.

Her feet felt heavy as she entered her home and she plopped down in a chair, lost in thought. Her mind was elsewhere as she prepared herself some food and threw clean towels into a beach bag after eating quickly.

Youngjae’s sudden question had her thinking. When was the last time she’d gone on a date? In her mind, she made the excuse that she was too busy and that none of the boys had really held her interest. That satisfied her for the time being. Still, she wondered how long it would be before another guy asked her out.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she suddenly ran into the table in her living room. (Y/n) inhaled sharply and pulled her left knee to her chest, which was bleeding slightly. Running to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit, she let out a string of curses as she tried to avoid getting blood on the floor. She grabbed some toilet paper to help stop the flow while she got out a band-aid. She cleaned herself up and put the bandage on her leg.

This was not her day apparently. All she wanted to do was go swim in the ocean now. So that’s what she did. She went into her room and changed into a bathing suit and cover before grabbing her bag with the towels and racing out to the car.

The moon was high as she drove down to the cove for the second time that day. The beach was empty, but that was to be expected and (Y/n) threw her stuff down and grabbed her goggles once more and the waterproof flashlight, which she had pulled out of the trunk of her car.

She waded in, stopping momentarily to let the cut on her leg stop stinging, and then practically dove in, letting the water massage the tension out of her shoulders. The beam from the flashlight was fairly bright and she was able to maneuver around almost as well as she could during the day.

The blackness was ominous. The water wasn’t completely illuminated and the sight of certain fish brilliantly lit up against the dark ocean behind it almost gave her chills. The sight was breathtaking though and she swam in between the structures of coral for a long time, only popping her head above the water to get air. She would have worn the tube with her mask, but she felt it was more of a hassle, besides (Y/n) liked coming up every once in a while to see the moon.

After about an hour of her exploring at night, (Y/n) began to feel as if she was being watched. ‘I think I’ve been watching too many horror movies,’ she thought, ‘I’ve been out here plenty of times and nothing’s happened. It’ll be alright.’ She decided to swim up to the surface to take a breather, but kept the light pointing below her, just in case. Her breathing had slowed a little and she was thinking about how much longer she could get away with staying out in the ocean when she noticed a fin move behind a rock. It was big. Too big to be from any animal that would normally have been in the reef.

‘Stay calm,’ she thought, ‘just…just get back to shore and you’ll be fine!’ She started swimming back.

Again she saw the fin move, but behind a different spot. Her heart started beating faster. She felt the water move beneath her in a swift current; she didn’t dare look down.

She didn’t stop swimming until she could stand with the water just below her hips. The flashlight revealed that nothing was within her reach. There was no sign that anything had even been there. (Y/n) let out a long breath and ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to calm her nerves. She walked back to where the waves reached farthest before they receded. She laid down but kept her knees bent, not minding the sand that was coating her back and no doubt tangling her hair.

Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her heartbeat, reassuring herself over and over again that no, nothing was out to get her. She removed her goggles and put them next to where she had tossed her flashlight. She laid there a moment more before pushing herself up and walking until she was knee-deep. Then she began attempting to remove the sand from the back of her legs and her hair.

A splash sounded nearby and she froze, only continuing her actions after a minute of silence. Another splash. (Y/n) gulped and moved faster. She muttered to herself to finish quickly and the hair on her neck stood on end when she noticed the fin again; it was moving toward her.

She screamed and was about to make a run for dry land when a head popped out of the sea a few feet away from her. (Y/n) was so startled that she lost her balance and fell backward into the ocean.

She pulled her head back up out of the water and, sure enough, the face of some guy stared back at her from a few feet away.

“Hi.”

She gaped at him, eyes growing to the size of saucers as she stood back up to get a better look at him.

“Why are you out here so late?” he continued.

(Y/n) tried to come up with a coherent response, but at the moment all she could think was ‘who the hell is this guy’ and that seemed a little rude.

“You can speak, can’t you?” He tilted his head to the left slightly and smirked a little.

She looked at him incredulously.

“Of course! I just—what am I supposed to say? You came out of nowhere!”

“What are you talking about?” he laughed, “I’ve been here all night.”

She balked.

“Did you see the giant fin too?”

He furrowed his brows.

“What did it look like?” he asked.

“I don’t know. It looked like the tail of a fish. I think it had silver scales.”

He seemed amused. His hair fell in front of his eyes as he giggled.

“What? You mean this?” Behind him, the fin was lifted out of the water. “I might have seen it.”

By this point (Y/n) felt like she was going to faint. She was sure all of the color had left her skin and she really needed to lie down. She began to stumble back to the beach when she hears him call out “where are you going?” She didn’t reply. Instead, she collapsed before she had pulled herself completely out of the water.

He kept trying to get her to respond and even attempted to move closer before realizing he would get stuck. She just laid there as the waves tried to pull her back out to sea. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and groaned.

“Oh thank god you’re not dead. I really did not want your dead body to be pulled out here when the tide rises. That would have just brought me so much trouble.”

She blinked up at the moon, not bothering to even acknowledge his ramblings. She was lying motionless, trying to regain her strength, when he called out again.

“My name’s Yugyeom, in case you were wondering. Since I know that was what was probably bothering you.” He laughed at his own joke and (Y/n) had to admit that his laugh was pretty cute.

“I’m (Y/n),” she replied, just loud enough for him to hear. She heard him splash around and finally, she felt well enough to lift her head. He grinned at her when they made eye contact.

“I have to make sure you stay conscious,” he said with a shrug.

The girl got up slowly and began to gather up her things.

“Are you going to come back tomorrow?” Yugyeom asked, almost as if he was pleading, “I can’t make sure you’re okay if you’re not here.”

She let out a snort and gave her confirmation that yes, she was planning on coming back the next night whether he was there or not.

“Promise?”

“Sure, I promise.”

He seemed pleased with that answer and called out a goodbye before slipping back under the water, but not without slapping his tail flat against the surface of the ocean.

(Y/n) smiled to herself as she pulled her towel around her shoulders. She retrieved her goggles and flashlight and proceeded to walk to her car. She had to admit he was kind of handsome for a…merman? She wasn’t entirely sure.

The road back home was as empty as the beach. It was really quiet without the radio on and (Y/n) drove while contemplating their meeting. She didn’t know this guy and yet she had basically agreed to be alone with him once more. ‘Maybe I should go when the sun’s still out,” she thought.

So the next day, despite not having a shift, which she secretly was really happy that she wouldn’t have to be awkward around Youngjae the day after his confession, (Y/n) didn’t go to the cove until the sun had sunk to just above the horizon.

There were only a few people on the sand by the time (Y/n) arrived. She laid her towel out and decided to relax while she waited to see if Yugyeom showed up. Besides, she really didn’t want to be scared like she was yesterday. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of the waves and how the sand moved underneath the people as they left. A while passed like that before there was an excessive amount of splashing and her name being called out.

He seemed ecstatic, that much she could tell. She sat up and looked over at him. Yugyeom tried to cover his excitement, though, when they made eye contact. His hair was slicked back and the smile on his face was sly. (Y/n) didn’t know how to feel about the way her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

“Couldn’t get enough of me?”

She cracked a smile at that.

“Well,” he said, “What are you waiting for? Get in the water!”

She seems to ponder for a moment, thinking over everything just to tease him. She didn’t give up the act until he let out an audible whine.

Laughing, she got up from her spot and waded in. Yugyeom inched closer to her but they kept their distance since the tide was receding slowly.

“Is your head better?” he asked.

(Y/n) nodded, moving until the water was lapping at her knees.

“Did you bring your light with you?”

“No,” she began, “I didn’t plan on snorkeling tonight.”

“Oh,” Yugyeom said looking mildly disappointed.

“I can still swim, though.”

“Yeah, but it will be more dangerous so you can’t go out very far.”

“Well,” she moved farther from the shore and began to float on her back, “Why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

He swam toward her and floated on his back as well.

“What do you want to know?”

“Were you always half fish or did you piss off an enchantress of some sort?”

He snorted in amusement before saying, “I’ll have you know that I come from an aristocratic lineage.”

She turned her head to the side at that.

“Wait, really?”

“No. I wish I did, though.”

They both chuckled and (Y/n) felt her heart flutter at the sound.

“I’ve always had a tail. Just like you’ve probably always had legs.”

They went back and forth like that for a couple hours, simply joking around and learning more about each other. They drifted along the shore and rocked with the rhythm of the waves.

“Ugh, my fingers are all wrinkled,” (Y/n) said with a sigh.

“Oh, mine are too. Maybe I’ve been in the sea too long.”

She laughed and splashed water in Yugyeom’s direction. He let out a gasp and then splashed her back with more vigor.

She retaliated, her hands willing the waves to move toward him.

They ended up having a full on water war, going so far as to try and dunk each other under. They paused for a moment as (Y/n) wrapped her arms around Yugyeom’s neck from behind. He stilled and waited with bated breath for her to do something. She didn’t.

Then a wave broke the tension as it rolled over the both of them, breaking them apart. They resurfaced and continued on as if nothing had happened.

It ended abruptly as (Y/n) yawned so wide she thought her head would split.

“You should probably go.”

“Yeah…I’ll be back tomorrow though.”

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

With that (Y/n) got out of the ocean and gathered up her belongings. She turned to wave at Yugyeom who was watching her. She called out her goodbye and turned to leave.

“Bring your light tomorrow!” he hollered.

She giggled and nodded her answer before walking back toward her car.

She laid in bed later thinking over the events of the night. Shivers ran up her spine as she thought about the way her hand brushed Yugyeom’s as they laughed. How he talked and made jokes. How he would lift the tip of his tail out of the water when he was thinking.

Her mind preoccupied her for a while. Funny how she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep when she was with him, but when they were apart she couldn’t even think of closing her eyes.

They continued like this for weeks.

It didn’t matter if (Y/n) was tired from work or if the summer night was scorching hot even after the sun went down, both of them still met up on opposite sides of the shore to get together. Some nights they simply talked. Others they swam around the bay as Yugyeom pointed out everything he had learned growing up. He seemed to know so much more than any human could even begin to comprehend. And on occasion (Y/n) would share the knowledge of her world with him.

Her attraction to him grew as time passed. It felt wrong to feel adoration for someone she didn’t even really know but that thought didn’t stop the feelings from settling into her heart. Often as they swam Yugyeom would brush her arms or hands with his fingers and a pleasant shiver would run up her spine.

And of all the times they met there was one night that stood out in particular to (Y/n).

On this night they met up as the moon began to rise. (Y/n) took her sandals off to allow her toes to squish in the sand as she put the rest of her stuff down.

They had agreed to swim about the coral the night prior, so she placed her goggles over her eyes and grabbed hold of her flashlight. She waded out into the warm water and waited for Yugyeom to appear, which he did a minute later, popping his head out of the water and waving her over to him.

She clicked the flashlight on and swam over to him. He took the light from her and laced his other hand with hers. Even though he could see perfectly fine in the dark he still preferred to hold the equipment. He said once that it was because if she managed to drop it then he’d be bothered by the process of getting it back. She knew better, though.

They spent the night looking at the reef life and talking to each other when (Y/n) had to come up for air. He was always patient when she needed a break even though he complained that it would be easier if she could just breathe underwater.

They bantered and laughed and every once in awhile Yugyeom would show (Y/n) a starfish or a seahorse or a tiny fish she would never have noticed. He always seemed to be aware, though. She thought it added to his charm.

The night progressed and soon (Y/n) could feel exhaustion begin to sink into her bones. She was riddled with yawns and her eyes drooped every so often. She blinked several times in an attempt to stay awake, and a couple times she told Yugyeom of her tired state, but he simply said, “stay a little longer.”

She couldn’t refuse.

So a couple minutes turned into another hour and soon (Y/n) knew she wouldn’t last much longer without sleep.

“Yuggie…I really have to go now.”

He sighed but pulled her back to shore, managing to toss the light far enough that it stuck in the sand without being pulled back by the greedy ocean. She stood and Yugyeom pulled her back down to his height suddenly. They looked at each other for a moment before he pulled the mask off her head.

“Before you go,” he paused and it looked to (Y/n) like he was trying to hide a blush, “Can I—can I kiss you?”

Surprise crept into her face along with the heat of her own blush.

She barely managed to breathe out a yes from the tightening of her chest from the anticipation.

And so he did.

It was tentative and it took a second for the two to warm up to it but eventually, it wasn’t so awkward. (Y/n) could taste the saltiness from the ocean and she was sure he could taste the same. Her closed eyes held stars and she couldn’t tell if it was from the intense emotion she felt or the lack of air. They broke off after a minute to catch their breath.

It was quiet aside from the sound of the sea. Neither of them moved for a moment and they let the waves push each other together.

But the reality of the situation was still present.

“I—I should go,” she said tentatively as if being too loud would shatter his existence.

He doesn’t respond.

Instead, he reached up and kissed her again. It wasn’t like the last one. This kiss was more passionate like Yugyeom had actually figured out this was real. That she was here and he’d had courage. That the moment would slip away if he didn’t make his move.

When he breaks away this time he simply murmurs an okay to her earlier statement.

(Y/n) stood there dazed for a second longer before standing up. She began to move back toward the beach, glancing over her shoulder every couple of steps to see if he was still watching her from the water.

He was, and it appeared to (Y/n) that he seemed to genuinely shrink the farther she got from him. And just when she thought she wouldn’t be able to take the ache her heart got from the sight of him leaving, he called out to her.

“Goodbye.”

He gave no wave or his usual brilliant smile. He said it loud enough for her to hear but didn’t make a show of it. It wasn’t sweet or heartfelt but the weight of that one word was great.

(Y/n) replied with a valediction of her own. Simple and a bit dazed.

And then she left, moving up the beach to the road leading home and so did he.

Yet nothing struck her as odd until the next day. She awoke the next morning and decided to take a stroll along the beach. The sand was bathed in a golden glow and the cliff sides were a sign of reassurance; that she was home in her and Yugyeom’s little paradise cove. Her thoughts trailed to him and to the previous night. As she watched the waves roll in and then crawl back into the sea she realized he had said goodbye instead of making her promise to come the next day.

But then again. It made sense since that was the last time she saw him.

Even still she had held out hope for months continuously going back to the beach at any given time of day. Night snorkeling was never the same and the bay felt emptier as weeks dragged by.

The summer breeze bled into an autumn chill and (Y/n) found herself thinking about Yugyeom less and less. And despite how awkward it was in the beginning, she found herself more at ease when she was with Youngjae. At least then she felt less lonely.

As the year continued onward work shifts turned into friendly outings which then, in turn, became, “I know what I said before, but I think I really like you…”  
Soon the cove wasn’t ‘Yugyeom’s and (Y/n)’s meeting place’ but rather ‘our cove’ according to Youngjae. Eventually, evening walks on the sand became frequent and as summer came back around days in the water were a must as well. It was in the early morning when she and Youngjae decided to wake up and watch the sunrise that (Y/n) almost thought she saw Yugyeom in the water. However, she knew nothing of his size dwelled in the cove anymore.

The thought of his disappearance didn’t make her as upset as it had before.


End file.
